A Comparison of a Brain-Computer Interface and an Eye Tracker: Is There a More Appropriate Technology for Controlling a Virtual Keyboard in an ALS Patient?

The ability of people affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), muscular dystrophy or spinal cord injuries to physically interact with the environment, is usually reduced. In some cases, these patients suffer from a syndrome known as locked-in syndrome (LIS), defined by the patient’s inability to make any move-ment but blinks and eye movements. Tech communication systems available for people in LIS are very limited, being those based on eye-tracking and brain-computer interface (BCI) the most useful for these patients. A comparative study between both technologies in an ALS patient is carried out: an eye tracker and a visual P300-based BCI. The purpose of the study presented in this paper is to show that the choice of the technology could depend on user´s preference. The evaluation of performance, workload and other subjective measures will allow us to determine the usability of the systems. The obtained results suggest that, even if for this patient the BCI technology is more appropriate, the technology should be always tested and adapted for each user.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

In vitro synergy and enhanced murine brain penetration of saquinavir coadministered with mefloquine.

Highly active antiretroviral therapy has substantially improved prognosis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, the integration of proviral DNA, development of viral resistance, and lack of permeability of drugs into sanctuary sites (e.g., brain and lymphocyte) are major limitations to current regimens. Previous studies have indicated that the antimalarial drug chloroquine (CQ) has antiviral efficacy and a synergism with HIV protease inhibitors. We have screened a panel of antimalarial compounds for activity against HIV-1 in vitro. A limited efficacy was observed for CQ, mefloquine (MQ), and mepacrine (MC). However, marked synergy was observed between MQ and saquinavir (SQV), but not CQ in U937 cells. Furthermore, enhancement of the antiviral activity of SQV and four other protease inhibitors (PIs) by MQ was observed in MT4 cells, indicating a class specific rather than a drug-specific phenomenon. We demonstrate that these observations are a result of inhibition of multiple drug efflux proteins by MQ and that MQ also displaces SQV from orosomucoid in vitro. Finally, coadministration of MQ and SQV in CD-1 mice dramatically altered the tissue distribution of SQV, resulting in a >3-fold and >2-fold increase in the tissue/blood ratio for brain and testis, respectively. This pharmacological enhancement of in vitro antiviral activity of PIs by MQ now warrants further examination in vivo

Willingness to participate in future HIV prevention studies among gay and bisexual men in Scotland, UK: a challenge for intervention trials

This article examines willingness to participate in future HIV prevention research among gay and bisexual men in Scotland, UK. Anonymous, self-complete questionnaires and Orasure Gäó oral fluid samples were collected in commercial gay venues. 1,320 men were eligible for inclusion. 78.2% reported willingness to participate in future HIV prevention research; 64.6% for an HIV vaccine, 57.4% for a behaviour change study, and 53.0% for a rectal microbicide. In multivariate analysis, for HIV vaccine research, greater age, minority ethnicity, and not providing an oral fluid sample were associated with lower willingness; heterosexual orientation and not providing an oral fluid sample were for microbicides; higher education and greater HIV treatment optimism were for behaviour change. STI testing remained associated with being more willing to participate in microbicide research and frequent gay scene use remained associated with being more willing to participate in behaviour change research. Having an STI in the past 12 months remained significantly associated with being willing to participate in all three study types. There were no associations between sexual risk behaviour and willingness. Although most men expressed willingness to participate in future research, recruitment of high-risk men, who have the potential to benefit most, is likely to be more challenging

Explanation of the Colour Change in Alexandrites.

Alexandrites are remarkable and rare gemstones. They display an extraordinary colour change according to the ambient lighting, from emerald green in daylight to ruby red in incandescent light from tungsten lamps or candles. While this colour change has been correctly attributed to chromium impurities and their absorption band in the yellow region of the visible light spectrum, no adequate explanation of the mechanism has been given. Here, the alexandrite effect is fully explained by considering the von Kries model of the human colour constancy mechanism. This implies that our colour constancy mechanism is real (objective) and primarily attuned to correct for the colour temperature of black-body illuminants

Evidence of means–end behavior in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus)

The present study explores to what extent Asian elephants show “means–end” behavior. We used captive Asian elephants (N = 2) to conduct four variations of the Piagetian “support” problem, which involves a goal object that is out of reach, but rests on a support within reach. In the first condition, elephants were simultaneously presented with two identical trays serving as the “support”, with the bait on one tray and the other tray left empty. In the next two conditions, the bait was placed on one tray, while additional bait was placed beside the other tray. In the last condition, both trays contained bait, but one of the trays had a small gap which prevented the elephants from reaching the reward. Subjects were required to choose and pull either tray with their trunk and to obtain the bait (i.e. goal). Results showed that one elephant performed all of the support problems significantly above chance after several sessions, suggesting that the elephant was capable of understanding that pulling the tray was the “means” for achieving the “end” of obtaining the bait. This study showed that elephants show means–end behavior when subjected to a Piagetian “support” task, and indicates that such goal-directed behavior occurs in species other than primates

Stem cells of the lower limb: Their role and potential in management of critical limb ischemia.

Peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) contributes to decreased exercise tolerance, poor balance, impaired proprioception, muscle atrophy and weakness, with advanced cases resulting in critical limb ischemia (CLI) where the viability of the limb is threatened. Patients with a diagnosis of CLI have a poor life expectancy due to concomitant cardio and cerebrovascular diseases. The current treatment options to avoid major amputation by re-establishing a blood supply to the limb generally have poor outcomes. Human skeletal muscle contains both multipotent stem cells and progenitor cells and thus has a capacity for regeneration. Phase I and II studies involving transplantation of bone marrow-derived progenitor cells into CLI limbs show positive effects on wound healing and angiogenesis; the increase in quiescent satellite cell numbers observed in CLI muscle may also provide a sufficient in vivo source of resident stem cells. These indigenous cells have been shown to be capable of forming multiple mesodermal cell lineages aiding the repair and regeneration of chronically ischemic muscle. They may also serve as a repository for autologous transplantation. The behavior and responses of the stem cell population in CLI is poorly understood and this review tries to elucidate the potential of these cells and their future role in the management of CLI

Early Life Socioeconomic Circumstance and Late Life Brain Hyperintensities : A Population Based Cohort Study

Funding: Image acquisition and image analysis for this study was funded by the Alzheimer's Research Trust (now Alzheimer's Research UK). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank the participants of the Aberdeen 1936 Birth Cohort (ABC36), without whom this research would not have been possible.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Bird pollination of Canary Island endemic plants

The Canary Islands are home to a guild of endemic, threatened bird pollinated plants. Previous work has suggested that these plants evolved floral traits as adaptations to pollination by flower specialist sunbirds, but subsequently they appear to be have co-opted passerine birds as sub-optimal pollinators. To test this idea we carried out a quantitative study of the pollination biology of three of the bird pollinated plants, Canarina canariensis (Campanulaceae), Isoplexis canariensis (Veronicaceae) and Lotus berthelotii (Fabaceae), on the island of Tenerife. Using colour vision models, we predicted the detectability of flowers to bird and bee pollinators. We measured pollinator visitation rates, nectar standing crops, as well as seed set and pollen removal and deposition. These data showed that the plants are effectively pollinated by non-flower specialist passerine birds that only occasionally visit flowers. The large nectar standing crops and extended flower longevities (>10days) of Canarina and Isoplexis suggests that they have evolved bird pollination system that effectively exploits these low frequency non-specialist pollen vectors and is in no way suboptimal. Seed set in two of the three species was high, and was significantly reduced or zero in flowers where pollinator access was restricted. In L. berthelotii, however, no fruit set was observed, probably because the plants were self incompatible horticultural clones of a single genet. We also show that, while all three species are easily detectable for birds, the orange Canarina and the red Lotus (but less so the yellow-orange Isoplexis) should be difficult to detect for insect pollinators without specialised red receptors, such as bumblebees. Contrary to expectations if we accept that the flowers are primarily adapted to sunbird pollination, the chiffchaff (Phylloscopus canariensis) was an effective pollinator of these species